Scotland’s first death amid virus shutdown
● Older patient in Lothian area with underlying health condition dies in hospital ● All football matches postponed until further notice, Wales v Scotland Six Nations clash called off ● Political conferences are cancelled as cases across UK rise to 798
The first death of a coronavirus patient has been confirmed in Scotland, as the pandemic saw all football matches postponed and the Wales v Scotland Six Nations rugby match called off.
Scotland’s Chief Medical Officer Dr Catherine Calderwood said she was “saddened to report” a patient being treated for Covid-19 had died.
She said the patient, who was being treated by NHS Lothian, was an older person with preexisting medical conditions.
It came as the number of cases in Scotland increased to 85.
Dr Calderwood said: “I am saddened to report that a patient in Scotland who has tested positive for coronavirus has died in hospital.
“I offer my deepest sympathy to their friends and family at this difficult time. The patient, who was being treated by Lothian health board, was an older person who had underlying health conditions.
“No further information will be available to protect patient confidentiality.”
Confirmation of the first death in Scotland came after the SPFL announced the postponement of all fixtures from yesterday, with tomorrow’s Old Firm clash between Rangers and Celtic at Ibrox among those affected.
In addition, the Wales v
Scotland Six Nations game in Cardiff, which was due to be played today has been postponed, while the Aye Write literary festival in Glasgow this month has been cancelled along with Radio 1’s Big Weekend in Dundee – which was due to take place in May.
The latest test figures for Scotland show that a total of 3,314 people have been checked for Covid-19, with 3,229 of those tests proving negative and 85 positive – a rise of 25 on Thursday’s total.
Greater Glasgow and Clyde now has the highest number of confirmed cases with 21, followed by Lothian with 20 and Grampian with 11.
Tayside, Lanarkshire, Ayrshire and Arran, Forth Valley, Fife, Shetland and the Borders health boards also have confirmed cases.
The Uk-wide total as of last night was 798 cases and 11 deaths.
The Scottish FA said it had made the decision to suspend games in the interests of the health and safety of players, match officials, staff, supporters and the general public.
SFA chief executive Ian Maxwell said: “Today’s announcement is made in the interests of public health but, equally, the health and safety of players, match officials, and staff across the game.
“This is of paramount importance as the country enters the ‘delay’ phase of the coronavirus pandemic.”
Neil Doncaster, SPFL chief executive, said that, while there are currently no confirmed cases of coronavirus amongst players in Scotland, the nature of the outbreak meant it seems “only a matter of time” until there are.
On Thursday, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced large gatherings which require emergency service support or could impact the health service would cease from Monday in Scotland to “remove unnecessary burdens” on frontline services.
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The decision to postpone matches was taken this morning by the Scottish football and rugby authorities.
“It was taken independently from the Scottish Government, but we welcome it.
“The suspension of football and rugby matches is a great help to our frontline emergency and public workers so they can prioritise their efforts where it is needed most during this outbreak.
“We will continue to work closely with the football and rugby authorities and other stakeholders to make sure all appropriate action is being taken at the right time to deal with the spread and impact of coronavirus.”
Professor Jason Leitch, who is responsible for planning in the Scottish NHS, said yesterday that more “draconian measures” such as closing borders, stopping travel and halting public transport would risk creating further problems in the future.
On the potential for school closures, Mr Leitch said they are “not necessarily going to happen” as he explained children having to be looked after and their apparent lower contagion are two key reasons for not shutting them at this stage.
However, Lanark Grammar School has temporarily closed for deep cleaning after a case of the virus was confirmed there.
Shetland Council said some schools will close to children next week “for operational and resilience reasons”, not for public health reasons, but will remain open for staff.
NHS Lanarkshire, meanwhile, has begun restricting visiting hours at its hospitals.
Patients will be able to receive a maximum of two visitors between 3-4pm, and then 7-8pm.
Scottish Labour health spokesperson Monica Lennon MSP said of the confirmed death: “This is very sad news and our thoughts are with the family of the patient at this difficult time. This brings home how serious this pandemic is.
“Scottish Labour will continue to work with the Scottish Government and others to ensure there is maximum resilience and preparedness in our NHS and public services to respond to the Covid-19 outbreak.
“Every single one of us must follow the latest public health information and look out for each other in the weeks and months ahead.”
For anyone in any doubt, the first Covid-19 coronavirus death in Scotland should bring home how serious this disease truly is. It will almost certainly not be the last.
Yesterday saw the global death toll pass 5,000 as the World Health Organisation continued to plead with world leaders to take tougher action. “Do not just let this fire burn,” said WHO director-general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
In Scotland and across the UK, public events like football matches have been cancelled and the response to the outbreak, if not the disease itself, is starting to impact on many people’s daily lives. And there may be more decisions taken in the coming days and weeks that will further interfere with our everyday routine.
If that happens, we all need to realise such steps are being taken for good reason – to try to stop the spread of a deadly disease – and so we must accept a degree of inconvenience. And, ideally, we should do so calmly, respectfully and, if we can muster it, cheerfully.
An example of the kind of change in our thinking that needs to happen came after a UK Government source shamefully attempted to play politics with the outbreak by describing Nicola Sturgeon as a “total disgrace” because she had held a press conference shortly before Boris Johnson did the same.
In normal times, this kind of bickering and political points-scoring is sort of acceptable. In our current situation, it is not. And up stepped Scottish Conservative leader Jackson Carlaw to make that crystal clear. Both the Prime Minister and First Minister, he said, had “convened relevant, measured and appropriate media conferences updating respective populations on coronavirus and immediate consequential actions. This is neither a competition nor a subject for unnecessary squabbling by others.”
A Scottish Conservative leader sticking up for an SNP leader – and slapping down an anonymous voice emanating from his own party’s Government in Westminster – is an unusual event. Few in Scotland need to be told that.
But some may need to make a similar change in their mindset if Covid-19 continues to spread and the restrictions are increased, perhaps to something like those imposed in Italy, where 1,000 people have died.
So if you find you are unable to go somewhere you want to go, do not try to circumvent the controls. We are truly in this together and it is by working together that we will emerge from this outbreak in the least painful way.